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Thursday, August 27, 2015

Hey Blogland! Question: can you ever have too many coasters? I'll help you with the answer: NOPE ;)

Coasters are great for using under cups, teapots, plants and so on, and it's always practical to have a few different sizes lying around. So I thought I'd share a pattern I made up the other day, featuring the first few rounds of the Sunburst Granny Pattern. Hope you enjoy!!

Sizes & yarn

I used a 4mm crochet hook and Schachenmayr SMC Bravo. This yarn is 100% acrylic, machine washable and it comes in many, many great colors. The finished coaster is about 16 cm/6 inches across.

StitchesSingle crochet (sc): insert hook in stitch, yarn over and pull through stitch (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through two loops on hook.

Half double crochet (hdc): yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull loop through stitch (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all three loops on hook.Double crochet (dc): yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull loop through stitch (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through two loops on hook (2 loops remaining on hook). Yarn over and pull through two remaining loops on hook.

Double crochet two together in same space (dc2tog): yarn over, insert hook in stitch, yarn over and pull loop through stitch (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through 2 loops (2 loops on hook). Yarn over, insert hook hook in same space, yarn over and pull loop through stitch (4 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through 2 loops (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through 3 loops.

Puff stitch: *yarn over, insert hook in indicated stitch and draw yarn through stitch* three times (7 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all loops on hook. Chain 1 to lock.

Cluster stitch: *yarn over, insert hook in next stitch and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops* 4 times (5 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all loops on hook.

===Note: scroll down to the bottom of this post for a more compact version of the pattern!
===

Chain 3 (counts as first dc) and crochet 11 dc's into the magic circle. Join with slip stitch to the beginning chain 3 and fasten off. (12 dc's total)

Round 2
Attach next color, chain 1, puff stitch in same space between dc's of previous round. Continue with crocheting a puff stitch in each space from previous round and join with a slip stitch to the first puff stitch. Fasten off. (12 puff stitches in total)

Round 4
Attach next color, chain 3 (counts as first dc) and in same space between cluster stitches of previous round crochet 2 dc's, ch 1. Repeat *3 dc, ch1* in every space. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning ch3 and fasten off. (36 dc's in total)

Round 5
Attach next color, chain 3 and in same space between dc's of previous round crochet 1 dc (counts as first dc2tog). Now repeat dc2tog in every space between every dc of previous round. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning ch 3 and fasten off. (36 stitches in total)

Round 6
Attach next color in space between dc2tog's of previous round, chain 2 (counts as first hdc) and in same space crochet 1 hdc. Repeat *2 hdc's* in every space between dc2tog's of previous round. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning ch 2 and fasten off. (72 hdc's in total)

Round 7
Attach next color in space between hdc's of previous round and chain 1. In the same space crochet 1 sc and repeat *1sc* in every space between hdc's of previous round. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning ch 2 and fasten off. (72 sc's in total)

And that's it! Quick and easy, and you can combine colors endlessy to create different sets of coasters. Enjoy!!!

Sunburst Coaster Pattern (compact version)

Round 1: Start with a magic circle.Chain 3 (counts as first dc) and crochet 11 dc's into the magic circle. Join with slip stitch to the beginning chain 3 and fasten off. (12 dc's total)Round 2: Attach next color, chain 1, puff stitch in same space between dc's of previous round. Continue with crocheting a puff stitch in each space from previous round and join with a slip stitch to the first puff stitch. Fasten off. (12 puff stitches in total) Round 3: Attach next color, chain 2, (cluster stitch, chain 2) in the same space and repeat *cluster stitch, chain 2* in each space between puff stitches of previous round. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning cluster stitch. Fasten off. (12 cluster stitches in total) Round 4: Attach next color, chain 3 (counts as first dc) and in same space between cluster stitches of previous round crochet 2 dc's, ch 1. Repeat *3 dc, ch1* in every space. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning ch3 and fasten off. (36 dc's in total)Round 5: Attach next color, chain 3 and in same space between dc's of previous round crochet 1 dc (counts as first dc2tog). Now repeat dc2tog in every space between every dc of previous round. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning ch 3 and fasten off. (36 stitches in total) Round 6: Attach next color in space between dc2tog's of previous round, chain 2 (counts as first hdc) and in same space crochet 1 hdc. Repeat *2 hdc's* in every space between dc2tog's of previous round. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning ch 2 and fasten off. (72 hdc's in total)Round 7: Attach next color in space between hdc's of previous round and chain 1. In the same space crochet 1 sc and repeat *1sc* in every space between hdc's of previous round. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning ch 2 and fasten off. (72 sc's in total)

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Spending the night in a castle? YES PLEASE! ;) This weekend my sister and I drove to Limburg - a southern province of the Netherlands - to soak up some sunshine, hike in style, have breakfast by the waterside and do some shopping. Apart from enjoying all the laughter and fun I was also once again very grateful for the way my life turned out this past year. A new city, a new home, a new job… and my driver's license and first car! After doing all my traveling - including holidays - by public transportation or hitching rides for decades, there is something so incredibly freeing and adventurous about throwing your stuff in a car and just GO. It was something I had been craving for years, so it feels really good to have finally provided this for myself.

Hi there!

My name is Jenny. I love photography & blogging, writing, crafting, handmade items, interior & graphic design and I'm always searching for the little things in life to inspire me. Welcome to Nittybits, where I will share bits of everything that makes life just that much more enjoyable.